In the Arms
by S.W.A.T
Summary: Transported to a strange and foreign land, Akane must find a way to go back to her own world and save those trapped in the never-ending fairy tale she and everyone suddenly finds themselves in…
1. Default Chapter

In the Arms

Chapter 1: Princess Akane 

Summary: Transported to a strange and foreign land, Akane must find a way to go back to her own world and save those trapped in the never-ending fairy tale she and everyone suddenly finds themselves in… 

Akane woke up to the breezy feeling on her lips, her eyebrows knotting together in confusion. She slowly opened her eyes, revealing dazed and mystified brown eyes. But instead of the wooden ceiling she sees every morning upon waking up, a familiar face hovered above her, concern and anticipation in the deep blue depths. His lips were scant millimeters away from her own. 

_Which explained the slight tingling sensation._

Akane's eyes snapped open wide and she abruptly sat up, which resulted in her bumping heads with him. Ranma jumped back, hissing in pain and clutching his smarting forehead.

_Oh god, did Ranma just kiss her? _

A look of total astonishment was on Akane's face. She was so shocked that she didn't notice her surroundings. 

_Ranma…just kissed her!!! Oh. My. Kami-sama!!!_

Then came the anger. The full-blown rage of being taken advantage of while she was sleeping. She took out her mallet from nowhere and was about to pound Ranma into oblivion when…

"Oh, fair Akane-sama, do not harm your most loyal betrothed for I want nothing more than to taste thou honeyed lips." He said this dramatically, like he was in a theatre play for a modern Shakespeare story. His Japanese sounded awfully formal and proper. This stunned Akane so much that she forgot her anger and her mallet vanished immediately.

Suspicion and wariness flared in Akane's brown eyes. "Are you sick, Ranma?" she asked quite rudely. 

"Ah, dear Akane-sama, you becomes the most fairest maiden in all of the land when you become aggravated…I cannot lie so I will say that I am most deeply in love with you…" Ranma confessed emotionally. 

A blush stained Akane's cheeks but she nonetheless rolled her eyes. This action caused her to finally notice her surroundings, sending her further into shocked bafflement. 

She was in a cliff that overlooked the forest below. Akane was sitting in a glass coffin – Good god, coffin! In a coffin! - made of glass and precious gold and jewels. Akane looked down at herself and saw a beautiful gown of pink with satin and silk clinging to her curvy body quite tightly, revealing a bit of her creamy bosom. This made her face burn. Dainty satin slippers covered her small feet. Even Ranma was wearing strange clothes. He was wearing some sort of cloth armor the color of blood red and dark blue with a big sword in his scabbard, tied securely to the belt around his waist. 

Needless to say, Ranma looked very dashing and Prince Charming-ish. 

Then noises of joy suddenly cried a few feet away from the coffin – coffin! – she was lying on. Akane turned her head sideways to see who else was present and nearly fell off her coff…bed-thingy when she spotted seven little men dressed in medieval costumes rushing towards her! They looked like children in their height, but their faces were old, wrinkled and merry. 

"Oh! Mistress Akane! You are alive!" one of the little men cried out in utter glee, clasping his chubby hands together. 

"Aye! Aye! Our mistress lives! Hurrah! Hurrah!" the six remaining dwarf-like men cheered out loudly, their squeaky voices echoing in the wind. 

Akane was very, very, very startled by then and the wariness in her eyes shone brightly. "Who are you and where am I?" she cried out distrustfully. 

"And what did you do to Ranma to make him so…so…Prince Charming-ish?!?!?!" Akane demanded before any of the small men could answer her first demand. She was pointing at Ranma who was looking obliviously blissful at Akane, fury on her pretty face. 

"You are in the Land of the Fairy in the Tale, Mistress Akane!" one of the little men, wearing a red shirt, answered. 

"Hai, hai! In the Land of the Fairy in the Tale, indeed!!!" the others chorused. 

"NANI?! There is no such thing!" Akane burst out indignantly, scrambling to get on her feet. She was standing atop the coffin, forgetting that it was a coffin, hands on waist and glowering down on the dwarfs in an intimidating fashion. "And Ranma? Did you drug him so he can play his part in this madness? AND DID HE KISS ME?!?!?!?!" 

A grumpier looking little man, even if he also looked happy, spoke up. "He is your betrothed, Mistress Akane. He kissed you to wake you up from the frightening spell of that vile Queen Kodachi!" 

"THIS SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS!!!" Akane yelled at the top of her longs, quite frustrated. 

Her anger caused the seven little men to jump backwards in fright and Ranma to snap out of his oblivious daze and rush towards his precious Akane. 

"Akane-sama! What is wrong? Your fair face is scarlet with resentment, can this unworthy warrior whose heart you have captured with your beauty and kindness do anything to change your negative disposition?" 

Akane got even angrier. If that was possible. "Stop speaking like Kuno-sempai, Ranma no baka!"  

What looked like genuine pain twisted Ranma's handsome features and he clutched at his chest, as if he was afraid someone might snatch his heart away. "Oh, you wound me so very deeply, Akane-sama! I am aware that I am unworthy of your divine presence, but please do not compare me to that idiotic King Kuno for he is even more unworthy of you!!!" 

Akane blinked in amazement, momentarily pausing. The little dwarfs simultaneously gave sighs of relief when their mistress Akane seemed to have quieted down. 

A slight breeze brushed around them, causing Akane's long blue-black hair to swirl around her.

Akane blinked again. 

Long hair? 

Long hair?! 

She fingered the long, silky strands in wonder, eyes as wide as saucers. Her short hair had grown overnight when she was sleeping. But that was impossible! Hair does not grow to this length in such a short period of time. Akane slumped back down on the coffin, her confusion taking away most of her fury and leaving her frightened and totally freaked out. 

Ranma looked aghast at her expression. "Please do not fret your pretty head, fair Akane-sama. King Kuno shall not have your hand, for you are tied to me by the sacred powers that make us affianced." 

He kneeled on the ground with one knee propped up, and took one of Akane's limp hands. "Shall we go to the castle now, fair Akane-sama?" 

Probably permanently speechless, Akane could only nod limply. 

Ranma stood up and promptly slid his arm underneath Akane and lifted her up into his arms as if she weighted no more than a mere feather. He then walked towards a horse nearby. 

Akane hadn't noticed the horse before. 

The little men cheered and clapped, following them.

Ranma mounted the horse effortlessly with Akane in his arms and gripped the reigns securely. A triumphant grin graced his features. 

"We shall return with the wedding invitations! Farewell now and you have our deepest gratitude, Dwarfs in the Magical Forest." 

Then he, with Akane seated like a dazed maiden in his arms, led the horse into the path that led out of the cliff and forest. 

Happy cheers echoed in the air, but Akane hardly notice. Nor did she notice the warmth Ranma exuded or the wind whipping her long hair as she rode into the sunset like the way they did it in fairy tales. 

But she can't be in a fairy tale…can she? 

Akane must be dreaming. She was sure that any moment now she will wake up in her own bedroom. 

She really can't be in a fairy tale…

**_Can she? _**

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There you have it…please review all right? This is gonna be a humorous fic, as humorous I can get, anyway. PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	2. The Land of the Fairy in the Tale

In the Arms 

Chapter 2: Land of the Fairy in the Tale 

Disclaimer: I forgot a disclaimer for the first chapter. Damn. Well, not really, because for one chapter I got to own Ranma and Akane!!! Shyeah right. I don't own them…and never will…but can I own Prince Charming instead? Unlikely…

_*This can't be happening. Any second now, I will wake up from my dream in my own bedroom, safe and sound. There will be no Prince Charming Ranma, or the seven little dwarfs and that nonsense about the Land of the Fairy in the Tale or something*_

Akane closed her eyes against the wind. Ranma's arms were around her waist, her back pressed to his hard chest. His hands were gripping the reigns tightly, controlling the speed and movement of the beautiful white horse. 

*Damn it! Why am I not waking up? I'm supposed to be dreaming here. I mean, if this is reality – though it is very, very, very unlikely – then it is so screwed up because there is no way in heaven, earth and hell that Ranma can be such a gentleman besotted with me!!!* 

A small grin floated on Akane's face. The thought of Ranma actually acting entranced with her made her entire body warm with pleasure. Then she frowned again. Her eyes were still closed and Akane unconsciously pressed her back further on Ranma's chest.

Ranma grinned. 

_*You moron! What are you thinking! Although that thought is quite nice, it is also totally impossible! Maybe this is just one of those really long dream sequence where the bizarre isn't bizarre at all! I wonder what time it is already…I'm getting strangely hungry and I hope I wake up soon. I have a feeling that it's almost breakfast…*_

"Akane-sama, oh my fair betrothed, look yonder. You shall see the splendor of your future home…where we shall spend the rest of our lives in matrimonial bliss," Ranma babbled with the accent of those Shakespearean actors long, long ago. 

Akane opened her eyes and looked upward, only to meet Ranma's idyllic blue eyes looking down at her. Her face colored. 

Deciding that this dream Ranma should receive better treatment than the real Ranma because he was much nicer, Akane acted along. 

"Uh, hai, Ranma-sama! We shall have a grand life in matrimonial bliss!" Akane agreed enthusiastically, giving him a brilliant smile that made _his _face color too. Taking those acting classes when she was younger really was one of Nabiki's more good, wholesome ideas. 

Following Ranma's advice, Akane looked at the distance and her breath caught in her throat. Rising like a majestic marble and gold outline, the pinkish-orange rays of the setting sun serving as the beautiful backdrop, the castle looked just like something out of a fairy tale. It was the most beautiful thing Akane has ever seen. 

_*Hmmm, maybe this dream isn't so bad after all. Ranma acting like a lovesick prince charming, a breathtaking castle for a home and no annoying fiancé glompers in sight!* _Akane thought, very pleased. Her wide brown eyes were still in awe of the majestic castle the horse and Ranma was taking her to…

Until she heard a familiar voice…her face fell immediately and the sparkle in her beautiful eyes dimmed…

"Aiya! What you doing here, Ranma-sama?" 

It was Shampoo. Ranma pulled the reigns and the horse stopped to a slow trot. Shampoo emerged behind thick trees, wearing a peasant dress with her thick purplish-blue hair in a low ponytail. She was holding a woven basket filled with vegetables and fruits. Shampoo looked very beautiful, looking sort of innocent in her dress. 

Ranma smiled politely. "Hello, fair Shampoo, and how is thy day?" 

Shampoo smiled brightly. "Oh, it was lovely, Ranma-sama! Mousse-chan asked Shampoo out for dinner tomorrow night!!! Aiya, Shampoo so excited!!!" Her purple eyes practically glowed with ecstasy. 

Akane's mouth dropped open at what she heard. Wait a second. Was this actually happening? Ranma was in front of Shampoo, and she's not even thinking of taking him away? She's thinking of Mousse, of all people! Now Akane was really sure that she was dreaming. No way would Shampoo feel something personal and passionate for Mousse. 

She was indeed in Bizzaro Land. 

Shampoo noticed Akane and smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Akane-sama." She then did something that totally blew away Akane's mind. 

She curtsied respectfully! 

Akane's jaw dropped open, her eyes nearly identical to that of very big circular plates. After a few seconds, Akane snapped out of her shock and closed her mouth, managing a stiff, but startled smile. 

"I am pleased to see you, Lady Shampoo." 

Shampoo gave another curtsy, a genuinely pleased smile on her exotic face. 

"Is Ranma-sama going to the castle?" Shampoo inquired without batting her eyelashes or smiling invitingly that always seems to capture boy's attention. It was quite unnerving to see someone as wily as Shampoo act so nice and sweet. Very unnerving. 

Akane couldn't help feeling wary. After all, anything was possible in dreams and Shampoo could just be pretending to act sweet so that when Akane had her guard down…then BAM! Ranma gets stolen!!! 

But Shampoo looked so sincerely kind and polite that Akane couldn't help but relax a little. 

Ranma nodded in answer to his question, eyes raised to the darkening sky and a gleefully content look on his handsome face. 

The sun had already hidden behind the shadowed hills that circled around them, like a massive barrier. The translucent orange-pink strands contrasted nicely with the velvety darkness of the sky and the stars were liked scattered diamond dust on an infinite canvas of dark blue. 

Akane blinked once then sighed. *Being in this unusual dreamland has made me poetically descriptive* she thought with a hint of wry amusement. 

"Aiya!" Shampoo cried suddenly, noticing that night had fallen on them, "Shampoo must get home or Mousse-chan might get worried!!!" 

She gave another curtsy, hurriedly but nonetheless graceful. This was her third curtsy in front of Akane and Ranma. 

"Shampoo must leave, Akane-sama, Ranma-sama." She then ran back into the trees she had emerged from earlier, but before disappearing completely, she looked over her shoulder at the couple atop the royal horse. "Maybe Shampoo see you during your wedding! Ja ne!" 

Then she was gone. 

Akane was once again shocked. How many times has she been startled this day? 

Wedding? No way! 

Akane opened her mouth to give Ranma a stinging diatribe when he – as if sensing impending doom – cracked the reigns against the horse who gave a high-pitched neigh and began to gallop into the forest, following the wide gap between the trees that led to the main town. 

The small road was rocky and uneven; causing Akane to gave a small yelp and snuggled deeper into Ranma's chest. His arms tightened reassuringly around her waist, making sure that she wouldn't fall.  

After five minutes, with Akane clinging to Ranma for support, they arrived in a big busy city teeming with people. 

Akane looked around, fascinated. The large city looked very picturesque, exactly as those you would see in fairy tale books. 

"Wow! This is really pretty," Akane commented with sincerity in her voice. 

"This is one of the greatest cities in the Land of The Fairy in the Tale, blue Thunder." 

Akane looked at Ranma over her shoulder, one slender eyebrow arched. The horse was trotting around the city, and the people stopped at streets and ogled at them. But Akane and Ranma were oblivious to them. 

"Blue Thunder? What kind of city name is that?" Akane asked curiously. 

Ranma shrugged. "My cousin, Tatewaki Kuno, has been called a many things. But 'idiot' hits the target dead on. Kuno-sama is a great leader to his army, but my beloved Akane-sama, he does not know in the proper giving of names or mingling with his people."

Akane's eyes rounded in astonishment. Kuno-sempai was here?! And he was king? 

"Kuno-sempai? He is king of Blue Thunder? No wonder the city is called that!" Akane cried out exasperatedly, her delight in seeing such a beautiful city disappearing quickly. She has got to wake up! 

Ranma looked mystified. "Hai, my dear Akane-sama. You do not know Kuno-sama is the king of Blue Thunder? But you two are best friends and you live here! Impossible, the curse must have made you forget."

Ranma was babbling now, but Akane paid no heed to the rest of his words. Her interest had been piqued with the words 'best friends', 'you live here', and the 'curse must have made you forget.' 

Curse? She had been in a curse? Good god, did Ranma mean those Curses of Drowned Whatevers? 

But then, Akane recalled that in the story 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', the evil queen stepmother with a shiny red apple cursed Snow White. If it were up to Akane which curse to inflict on herself, she'd chose the shiny-red-apple incident over any curse similar to that of Ranma's. 

"Uh, Ranma-sama, does Kuno-sama have a wife?" 

Ranma shook his head. They were passing over a wooden bridge that arched over the wide, crystalline lake like a rainbow. The people watched them from the foot of the bridge, in awe. 

"Iie, Kuno-sama does not have a wife. But his sister, Kodachi-sama, is queen," Ranma answered dutifully, a slightly bitter tone in his voice when he said Kodachi's name. Akane didn't miss this and her eyebrows rose. 

"Kodachi…sama? She is queen." Akane sighed, wishing for the hundredth time that she'd wake up. This was getting too bizarre, even for her! 

_*Figures it would be Kodachi who cursed/poisoned me,* _Akane thought with a wry smile. 

Then Ranma spoke up, "But Kuno-sama is engaged, now, my dearest Akane-sama. And you should be proud. I think." 

"Why?" Akane had a sinking feeling who Kuno's fiancé was…but not even in dreamland was that possible…right?

Ranma nodded. "Hai, for Kuno-sama is to be wedded at the same day of our wedding. To a esteemed treasurer in the Land of the Fairy in the Tale." 

Akane's hopes plummeted down. 

"The wedding is on a fortnight from now, with both king's in the two great kingdoms getting married to the most respectable and beautiful brides," Ranma babbled on, and Akane wanted to hit him with her mallet for taking such a long time in telling her who Kuno's fiancé was! 

"And Kuno-sama will be wed to none other than your older sister, Tendo Nabiki." 

Oh shit. 


End file.
